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You've developed a great new technology. You've invested
thousands of hours of work. Now comes the tough part -- selling
your product. Many startup founders don't have sales teams to
rely on, resulting in dismal sales. But this doesn't have to
be the outcome for your venture.

One of the core truths about sales that startups need to
understand is the act of selling is not really about pushing
products on people but more about solving a problem.

At its best, the process of sales is about helping prospects -- you're
trying to improve the customer's current condition.

Need help in the selling department? Here are a four tips to
consider:

1. Alter your thought process.
As stated above, you need to pivot your thought process from how
to close a deal to what problem you are trying to solve. Before
listing off a product's features, you should find out from the
prospect what kind of pain points they have. If you can't find a
problem your product solves, it's either the wrong market fit,
it's not a good product or your sales pitch needs to be tweaked
to focus on solving specific problems companies face.

2. Always look to add value.
Don't think that once a customer hands over cash for your
product, the selling process is complete. All too often, sales
people will contact the customer until closing the sale, and then
once the deal is done, they hand off the person to the service
team. This is a missed opportunity.

Check in with your clients on a regular basis and look for ways
to keep supporting them, listen to their evolving needs and be
ready to answer questions before problems arise. You don't
necessarily need to be in selling mode but touching base helps
keep the communication channels open. Also, if for some reason
your solution is failing to meet their expectations, you need to
hear feedback, as you want to improve or solve the situation
before it's too late.

3. Empathize with your prospects.
Prospects get called by sales people all the time, and they can
tell the difference between a sincere problem solver and an
impatient sales person who doesn't really care about their
problems. Be a part of the former group and listen to your
prospect and address their problems. The better you listen to
what they need and not what you want to sell, the better your
sales relationships will be.

4. Deliver an appropriate solution.
Prospects know when someone is just trying to sell them
something, regardless if it is the right fit or not. Don't be
that person. Instead, provide a solution the prospect truly
needs, based on their unique circumstances.

Startups are often motivated by a sense of idealism: You're
trying to do something better, faster or more efficiently. You're
looking to create and innovate. You're bringing something into
the world that hasn't been done before. Bring this spirit and
passion into your sales conversations with customers.

What other selling tips do you have for
entrepreneurs? Let us know in the comments
below.